More Auckland taxi customers allege being overcharged by Crown Cabs. Composite Photo / NZME
More Auckland taxi customers allege being overcharged by Crown Cabs. Composite Photo / NZME
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has condemned the “unacceptable” behaviour of “rogue operators” as more customers come forward claiming they were overcharged by a notorious taxi company.
Crown Cabs has been accused of overcharging passengers with inflated fares and circuitous routes. The Small Passenger Service Association says the group has received “multiple complaints” about the company - while the Commerce Commission told the Herald it has had eight enquiries relating to Crown Cabs.
Since the Herald reported a pensioner saying she felt “fleeced” after being charged more than $160 for a 20-minute taxi ride in Auckland, more complainants have shared their stories.
Passenger Matt said a Crown Cabs driver locked the doors when he attempted to question an outrageous fare during a recent trip.
After travelling at 3am on October 26 from Victoria Park to Grey Lynn Park, a 1.6km journey that took three minutes, he said the driver attempted to charge him $170.
Matt disputed the charge, which the driver first said would be $140 when they arrived. The driver then locked the doors.
Matt said as a middle-aged man, he felt comfortable arguing with the driver, even when the doors were locked. But he was worried about what a young woman would have done in the same situation.
He said he tried to offer the driver $25 cash but the driver refused saying he only accepted credit cards and produced an eftpos machine.
“I exited the taxi without paying following this exchange.”
Coldplay perform three shows at Eden Park last week, bringing thousands of people to the city. Photo / Anna Lee Media
Meanwhile, 19-year-old student Sophia travelled to Auckland from Christchurch with her boyfriend to see Coldplay last week at Eden Park.
She said her phone had died after the concert and her boyfriend’s would not get a signal, so they could not find their way to the train station.
When she tried to ask a passing Crown Cab for directions, he allegedly told her that all buses and trains were full or not working and they would have to take a taxi home.
She said the driver charged them $114 for a 4.7km journey from Mt Eden to downtown Auckland. Although she is not a local, she believed he took multiple wrong turns to raise the price, including entering the motorway.
“The way he was explaining it when I questioned him sounded rehearsed, he had done this before.
“We’re a young couple, both 19 years old, from out of town and feel really taken advantage of.”
Other Herald readers said they had paid exorbitant fares for short trips in metered taxis. Many of them were from outside Auckland and visiting for the Coldplay concerts or other events, and felt they had also been taken advantage of.
A 68-year-old woman from Central Otago said she was “fleeced” by a Crown Cabs driver after a late-night trip from Auckland’s CBD to Mt Roskill, for which she paid around $17 per kilometre.
Another woman said her son caught a Crown Cabs taxi to Titirangi village – a distance of 13km – and was charged $170.
If the fare charges are too high, passengers are told to complain to the Commerce Commission’s consumer protection website.
Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner said it was “disappointing” to hear some passengers were charged exorbitant amounts. He said Eden Park “widely communicated” cheap transport options for concertgoers.
“While Eden Park has no control over the practices of private transport operators, we are committed to ensuring patrons have an exceptional street to seat experience when attending an event at Eden Park which includes providing a comprehensive range of safe and affordable transport options.”
Transport Minister Brown said that the “vast majority” of cab services were law-abiding and reliable. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Transport Minister Brown said that the “vast majority” of cab services were law-abiding and reliable.
“It is a shame to hear that a few rogue operators are intentionally misleading customers about public transport availability and charging excessively high fares. This sort of behaviour is unacceptable.”
A Commerce Commission spokeswoman said eight complaints had been received about the company.
“The first enquiry was received in March 2019 and the most recent one in July 2024. The reported enquiries are about high price concerns, undisclosed charges, and being overcharged.”
Small Passenger Service Association executive director Warren Quirke said it had received “multiple complaints” about Crown Cabs.
Quirke told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking the fare should be agreed upon prior to the trip taking place, which was not happening.
He said as long as the price was advertised then it was “fair game”.
